Gary Cook Photography, LLC

Anhinga Drying Out

Anhinga drying out. Sanibel Island, Florida. Anhingas are often confused with cormorants, but anhingas have razor sharp straight beaks. It's always a treat to watch them hunt for fish; they stealthily submerge and hunt around rocks and crevices, seeking small fish. Anything that comes within striking range is speared on their rapier-like beaks. Once a catch is caught, the bird rises to the surface and tosses the fish into the air before swallowing it whole. This hunting methods requires the birds to have no water proofing on their feathers and they need to dry out in the sun after each hunt, spreading their wings like this.